Susan Ivanova
Susan Ivanova was the second in command of Babylon 5 for the latter part of Jeffrey Sinclair's command, and for the whole of John Sheridan's. Personality Who am I? I am Susan Ivanova. Commander. Daughter of Andrei and Sofie Ivanov. I am the right hand of vengeance, and the boot that is going to kick your sorry ass all the way back to Earth, sweetheart! I am death incarnate, and the last living thing that you are '''ever' going to see. God sent me.'' A Russian, Susan Ivanova (pronounced "ih-VAH-noh-vah") was brave and intense, often quoting her Russian customs and traditions. Also, Susan has an eidetic memory "Between the Darkness and the Light", which may account for her brilliance as an administrator and military strategist. Susan Ivanova appears locked in a tragic cycle. The particular millstone around Ivanova's neck was love—not only romantic love, but familial. Deep down, she believes that "all love is unrequited", perhaps believing that she is undeserving of true happiness. Ivanova and telepaths Ivanova's bitter hatred of the Psi-Corps is central to her view of the world, and her most strongly held belief. She blames the "Corps" for the death of her mother. Her mother, a rogue telepath with two small children, Susan and Ganya, had been discovered by the Psi-Corps at age 35. For ten years, Ivanova's mother Sophie was forced to take injections that dulled her telepathic ability and led to a deep depression. While Ivanova was still a child, Sophie took her own life. Ivanova was grief-stricken, and this tragedy left her with a lifelong suspicion of telepaths. Later, it is revealed that Ivanova too is a latent telepath, who had occasionally shared thoughts with her mother. Approximately five to seven years after the death of their mother, Ganya, Ivanova's older brother, was killed in the Earth-Minbari War. After Ganya's death, Ivanova insisted on joining the Earth Force against her father's wishes. Ivanova's decision to enlist drove a further wedge between the two last survivors of a family which had known much tragedy. She and her father did not reconcile until he was on his deathbed. With her lack of success on the romantic front, Ivanova is left with platonic love. After her father's death, she increasingly relies on her comrades on Babylon 5 as family. John Sheridan and Michael Garibaldi have also suffered and lost loved ones (Sheridan's wife, Garibaldi's father and best friend). It is through their brotherly friendship, and that of Dr. Franklin and Minbari ambassador Delenn, that Ivanova begins to trust again. Later life After President Morgan Clark committed suicide, the fascist government he created fell apart. Commander Ivanova was grief stricken after the death of Marcus Cole, who gave his life to save hers using the Alien Healing Machine. She was given amnesty by the new President, Susanna Luchenko. As Sheridan's last act as an Earth Force officer, Ivanova was promoted to the rank of Captain. Ivanova decided to leave Babylon 5 and take command of one of the new Warlock class ships. When Sheridan was dying in 2281, Ivanova was a General in EarthForce. But her heart was no longer in the job. She went to Sheridan's last party with his friends. Sheridan was taken by Lorien beyond the galaxy - but everyone else believes him dead, including Ivanova. After Sheridan was gone, she was at the decommissioning and scuttling of Babylon 5. Before his death Sheridan had refused reelection to the Presidency of the Interstellar Alliance, and had become the leader of the Anla'Shok during this time. The Rangers would need a new replacement. Interstellar Alliance President Delenn offered the job to Ivanova, knowing that she was no longer happy in Earth Force. Ivanova left Earth Force shortly afterwards, moved to Minbar, and began her new role as head of the Rangers. Sexuality Ivanova and Talia Winters In 2259 the relationship between her and the resident telepath, Talia Winters, became physical "Divided Loyalties". The relationship had started earlier in the year when the barrier between them, Winters' strong belief in the Corps, had collapsed. Winters had been slowly developing doubts about the Psi Corps, an organization she had been raised in from childhood. However, Winters' personality was destroyed by an implanted hypnotic trigger, and she rejected Ivanova's affection for her as foolish and weak. Ivanova was left weeping and vulnerable when Winters returned to Earth. The actual truth of this relationship was not fully revealed until Ivanova said to Delenn, "I think I --- loved --- Talia.""Ceremonies of Light and Dark" Ivanova and Marcus Cole Ivanova's most painful loss came when Marcus Cole, who had slowly fallen in love with her, sacrificed his own life to save her from a mortal wound she received"Between the Darkness and the Light""Endgame". Marcus died slumped beside an unconscious Ivanova, transferring his life-force to her via an alien healing device. These events precipitated her departure from Babylon 5. Appearances *TV Movies (2) *Babylon 5 (87 episodes) Positions *EarthForce **Lieutenant Commander, XO of Babylon 5 (2258) **Commander, XO of Babylon 5 (2259 - 2261) **Captain, CO of Warlock Class Destroyer (2262 - ???) **General (??? - 2281) *Anla'Shok **Entil'Zha/Anla'Shok Na (2281 - ???) References External links * The Lurker's Guide to Babylon 5: The definitive B5 reference and episode guide * Babylon 5 Encyclopedia (fansite) * Susan Ivanova Character Profile (fansite) This page incorporates text from the Wikipedia entry on Susan Ivanova Ivanova, Susan